Moment a Russian soldier 'surrenders with TANK in return for £7,500 and Ukrainian citizenship after his colleagues ran off and his commander threatened to shoot him'

 A Russian soldier has handed himself and his tank over to Ukrainian troops for a reward of $10,000 (£7,500) and a chance at Ukrainian citizenship.

Misha, one of alleged war criminal Vladimir Putin's invading soldiers, surrendered in a T-72B3 main battle tank after his two other crewmates escaped home and his commanding officer threatened to shoot him.

Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Victor Andrusiv said Misha had contacted Ukraine's national police by phone and arranged a place to meet.

He said: 'For a few weeks in the National Police have identified the phones used by Russians.  

The moment a Russian tank driver called Misha surrendered to Ukrainian troops by lying on the ground beside his T-72B3 main battle tank for a reward of $10,000

Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Victor Andrusiv (pictured) said Misha had contacted Ukraine's national police by phone and arranged a place to meet

'On these phones, we regularly send SMS about how to surrender and hand over the equipment. 

'A few days ago, Misha called us.

'We handed over the information about him to the GUR MO [Ukrainian military intelligence]. 

'He didn't see the point of war.  

'Misha said that there was almost no food left, military management is chaotic and practically absent. Demoralization is colossal.

'The Russians are giving up!'

The Ukrainian military selected a place for the soldier to surrender and used a drone fitted with a camera to make sure it wasn't an ambush.

Special forces then detained Misha, who lay face-down on the with his hand up as he surrendered. 

Ukrainian forces have used anti-tank defences, including British NLAWs, against T-72B3s at close range. Pictured: A destroyed Russian T-72B3 

By 2020 Russia had 558 T-72B3 main battle tanks (pictured in Mariupol) in its arsenal

Each T-72B3 tank has the capacity for a three-person crew and is fitted with a 125 mm smoothbore main gun as well as a machine gun and an anti-tank guided missile. Pictured: Russian tanks T-72B3 take part in drills at the Kadamovskiy firing range in the Rostov region in southern Russia, ahead of the invasion of Ukraine

Mr Andrusiv added the Russian soldier will spend the remainder of the war as a prisoner in 'comfortable conditions with a TV, phone, kitchen and shower'. 

Ukrainian state arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom previously offered $1million for the capture of battle-ready Russian aircraft.

It said the offer also applied to Russian troops wanting to switch sides.

Ukroboronprom said: 'To the pilots of the Russian Federation ready to participate in the programme, we guarantee the issuance of citizenship of a free country!'

The arms manufacturer added it would give $500,000 for every combat helicopter seized from the Russians that could still be used.